Tag: boston

Images recently surfaced of items from a “time capsule” that was buried beneath the cornerstone of the Massachusetts State House in 1795. The items were originally placed there by Samuel Adams (then governor of Massachusetts) and Paul Revere. The box was opened in 1855, cataloged, and reassembled with new materials added from that time period.

Among the contents were 23 coins, a medal decorated with the face of George Washington, and several period newspapers, along with a plaque describing the laying of the original cornerstone. You can read more about it in this Slate article.

Historical significance aside, what we liked seeing were all these treasured displayed in various archival storage products. The coins were laid out on Corrosion Intercept®, which protects metal artifacts by reacting with and neutralizing corrosive gasses and place inside Artifact Specimen Trays. There were also a number of Artifact Storage Trays with Clear View Lids that allow you to view the contents while protecting them from dirt and dust. Acid-free Folders and Tissue also were visible in the images.

It’s fitting then that in March, University Products will exhibit and be a sponsor at a joint meeting between the New England Archivist (NEA) and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) in Boston! Members of both NEA and MARAC have been working together diligently over the past year to bring you a fantastic three-day program that is diverse, interesting, and collaborative. There are sessions, workshops, repository tours, a Day of Service community volunteer day, and more. And of course, there is the opportunity to network with members of the archival profession from two regional organizations.

Tired of endless shopping, crowded malls and traffic jams? “Bah, humbug!” Get into the real holiday spirit with something traditional and even a bit old-fashioned. And nothing says “traditional Christmas” better than Charles Dickens and his wise tales.

If you are our fellow New Englander and can visit Boston, for something truly special, try doing The Freedom Trail Foundation’s Historic Holiday Stroll. Offered Thursday to Sunday from November 18 to January 31 (holidays excluded), costumed tour guides dressed in Victorian garb will help you revisit the days when Boston hosted the triumphant American premiere of Charles Dickens holiday classic A Christmas Carol. Hear the story of how Christmas and holiday traditions evolved in Boston and the highlights of the American Revolution as it happened just 75 years earlier.

If you don’t feel like leaving the house and braving the elements, you can still enjoy some of the Dickensian magic, but in a different way. Project Boz (“Boz” was Dickens’ early pen name) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute Gordon Library is helping modern readers experience the novels of Dickens in their original, serialized form. Famous for it’s rich collection of Charles Dickens materials, including rare first editions of almost all of his major works, manuscripts, and letters, the library is scanning and uploading for public access most of the novels in their original serial form, including original advertisements, and illustrations!

And if you are a world-traveler and just happen to be in London for the holidays, you simply MUST visit beautifully restored and just re-opened Charles Dickens Museum! For a “Very Dickensian Christmas” you can enjoy caroling and story telling, film screenings, walks and even festive food! It doesn’t get any better than that!

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”Charles Dickens